32 Amazing Tips To Improve Your Memory

32 Amazing Tips To Improve Your Memory. Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com. Gingko photo – Pixabay (PD). “Spheres of the mind” illustration – Robert Fludd (PD).

I first became really interested in the mysteries of memory many years ago, when I learned of the incredible feats of “memory masters” – who appeared to have superhuman memorization abilities.

How do they do this? Are they freaks of nature or is this something we can also do? I was surprised (and excited) to learn that in many cases, it is not so much that they have an abnormally large capacity for sheer “data storage”, but that they have learned to take advantage of the brain’s innate structure to full advantage.

For example, did you know that visual memory has a much greater portion of the brain “allocated” to it than other memory types – and that you can employ this natural power that you already have to improve your memory greatly?

The classic example given is that of a shopping list. Try this: Instead of attempting to memorize a basic shopping list, imagine walking into a room, and seeing clearly the items laid out on a table in front of you.

Then when you get to the store, recall the memory of walking into the room, and look on the table “in your mind’s eye” at the items laid out in front of you.

Give it a go! (By all means make a list and keep it in your pocket just in case, but you should find that this memory trick really works! You’ll find it much easier than attempting to memorize a string of words with no specific visual connotation. Amazing huh?

Why does this work? Consider how much easier it is to remember a face than a name! You “never forget a face but often forget a name”! The reason for this “visual recall” ability we have is that it is a key survival trait. From the baby recognizing its parents to the warrior recognizing friend and foe, we use this ability constantly. And we aren’t the only ones – it turns out that researchers have found that crows and other animals can recognize individual humans by visual appearance!

So here’s the key to the puzzle: The memory masters found a way to “hack” memory by using the brain’s innate strengths. It is called a “peg system” and it goes something like this: They would memorize a simple set of objects that are “permanently pegged” to each of the numbers, starting with ten but gradually extending this system so that they had for example perfectly memorized 100 objects, one for each of the numbers 0 to 99. So for example 1 becomes a loaf of bread. 2 becomes a fish. Whatever, just so long as you stick to the system. By creating “key codes” of these easier-to-memorize objects, they could memorize incredibly long numbers with ease, astounding people with their “total recall” ability – when in fact they are imagining loaves of bread and fish laid out next to each other…

This technique can also be applied to remembering names, strings of letters or even complex codes – always using the same “key code” of a simple set of objects that correspond to the basic word and number building blocks. Once you have the basic system down, it can be used to remember anything you wish to remember. What’s simply incredible is that you too have this astonishing natural ability built in – it’s just that no-one ever taught you how to use it!

Fascinating stuff, don’t you think? It’s a kind of “inner cryptography” for your own mind. 😉

So you could think of this as a “software upgrade” but you can also do hardware upgrades – with optimized nutrition, optimized sleep and more.

Ready to go down the rabbit hole? 🙂 Here is our quick “master list” of resources for you which can help improve memory:

1. Eco Salon article: Here’s a great article which contains a list and tutorial for 20 tips to improve memory: https://ecosalon.com/what-are-the-20-tips-to-improve-memory-say-again

2. List of Memory Herbs: We have a page called 10 Herbs For Memory which lists ten of the herbs thought to be most valuable. Of these one of the best established is Gingko Biloba, nicknamed “memory tree” since old times and found by studies to improve blood flow to the brain.

3. Herbal extract: We discovered a fascinating substance – Galantamine – a substance extracted from the Snowdrop and a few other flowers. Interestingly, it has been theorized that the Snowdrop may have been the flower given by Odysseus to his men to restore their memory in Homer’s epic from Ancient Greece. Galantamine has been studied and found to be an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor – and it turns out that for this reason it has significant potential as an anti-Alzheimer’s agent! According to life extension scientist Will Block, it may even have an edge over other anti-Alzheimer’s agents. ^[1] It also turns out that galantamine has gained a reputation for its ability to assist with the practice of lucid dreaming – however please note that there have been some side effects noted and it may not be safe for all: Here is a very detailed article on galantamine.

4. Supplement: I just discovered a fascinating supplement available on Amazon.com called “Neuro Optimizer” and I’m really keen to check it out. I haven’t tried this yet, but it is getting some really good reviews from people saying that it is helping them with mental clarity. It contains neuro-nutrients and protectants thought to assist with several aspects of brain function. This product seems amazing and I’m really keen to try it out soon. If you are curious to investigate, here is the link where you can read the reviews and purchase. (Note – this is my Amazon affiliate link.)

5. Book: Check out this book by a “Memory Grand Master” (rave reviews): Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster (This is an “Amazon Associate” link; I earn a peanut commission on sales generated via this link at no additional cost to you)

6. Brain workouts: A final useful tip is to think of “the brain as a muscle”. In other words, it needs a workout in order to remain strong. “Use it or lose it” applies to neural pathways and the ones that are not used, fade away whereas the ones you use habitually are reinforced. The ability of puzzles such as Sudoku to sharpen recall is well established. As we get older it’s important to keep challenging ourselves to think and do “mental exercises” which utilize recall. For a more intense mental workout, try the brain workouts listed at Brainscale.net. Very interesting stuff.

What do you do to keep your memory sharp? Got any other tips? Please let us know on our Facebook page or in the comments. 🙂